Analysis of Elements of Plot of Tom Clancy's OP Center: Mission of Honor.
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini saya akan membahas sebuah novel berjudul OpCenter: Mission of Honor yang ditulis oleh Tom Clancy. Buku yang bergenre
Techno Thriller ini menceritakan tentang seorang pastor Katolik di Botswana
yang diculik oleh sekelompok pasukan tentara yang tidak dikenal. Tim khusus
Op-Center pun dikirimkan dalam usaha penyelamatan sang pastor. Seiring
berjalannya cerita, terungkap semakin banyak kejadian dan kekacauan yang
terjadi di negara kecil tersebut.
Setelah membaca buku ini saya menemukan bahwa unsur yang penting
dalam novel ini adalah plot, antara lain: suspense, surprise dan artistic unity. Saya
memutuskan untuk menganalisis hubungan antara suspense dan surprise dan
bagaimana keduanya terhubung sehingga membentuk sebuah artistic unity yang
masuk akal sehingga dapat dipercaya oleh pembaca.
Kesimpulan saya adalah bahwa keberhasilan novel ini terletak pada
perkembangan plotnya yang sangat bagus, khususnya suspense yang disajikan
secara sistematis sehingga membuat pembaca merasa ingin tahu apa yang akan
terjadi selanjutnya.
ii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... i
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... ii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study..............................................................................1
Statement of the Problem .............................................................................3
Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................3
Method of Research .....................................................................................3
Organization of the Thesis ...........................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF ELEMENTS OF PLOT OF TOM
CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: MISSION OF HONOR ................................5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ................................................................19
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................22
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of OP-Center: Mission of Honor ................................................23
Biography of Tom Clancy..........................................................................24
i
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Tom Clancy is one of the greatest American novelists; most of his works
are about crime, military and espionage fiction, and techno-thriller storylines.
Tom Clancy is “one of only two authors to have sold two million copies on a first
printing in the 1990s. His 1989 novel Clear and Present Danger, sold 1,625,544
hardcover copies, making it the #1 bestselling novel of the 1980s” (“Tom Clancy
Biography and Notes”). His debut novel, The Hunt for Red October, was also sold
millions of copies on the first printing in 1984.
Tom Clancy’s novels are included into “the techno-thriller genre,
suspenseful novels that rely on extensive knowledge of military technology and
espionage” (“Tom Clancy”). Moreover, Tom Clancy is best-known for his ability
in writing crime fiction, which definition is:
The genre of fiction that deals with crimes, their detection, criminals,
and their motives. Most though not all, crime novels share a common
structure. First, there is the crime, usually a murder, then there is
1
Maranatha Christian University
investigation; and finally, the outcome or judgment, often in the shape of
the criminal’s arrest or death (“Definition of the Crime Fiction Genre”).
One of Tom Clancy’s novels, Op Center: Mission of Honor, is a story
about a group of African militiamen who kidnap a priest who spreads Catholicism
in Botswana. Even though the story in the book is fiction and was published in
early 2000s, it portrays a similar situation that really happened in a small African
country during the late seventies until eighties.
When I read the book, I find many events that leading me as a reader to
read further to know what will happen in the story. In the middle of reading, I also
find some events that I do not expect to happen. Those things create a tense when
I read the book, wonder to know how the story ends.
As plot is the most important element in Tom Clancy’s Op Center:
Mission of Honor, it will be suitable for me to analyse the suspense, surprise and
artistic unity. According to Harry Shaw in Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms,
suspense is “a state of mental uncertainty, excitement, or indecision.” Suspensus,
which involves awaiting an outcome or decision, derives from Latin word that
means “hanging up” and therefore left undecided. In literature, suspense refers to
the anticipation of readers (or of an audience) concerning the outcome of events in
a novel, story, or play. Suspense is a quality of tension in a plot which sustains
interest and makes readers ask “what happens next?” (Shaw 365).
Shaw’s definition of surprise is “a sudden and unexpected turn in the
action occurring at the end of a work. Such a conclusion is a trick ending if it has
not been previously hinted at or prepared for.” (365).
2
Maranatha Christian University
As for artistic unity, he defines it as “a term applied to characters, ideas,
and events that are believable, that seem worthy of approval and acceptance.”
(289).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problems that are going to be analyse in this thesis are:
1. Which parts of the story act as suspense in the novel?
2. Which parts of the story act as a surprise in the novel?
3. How is the artistic unity presented in the novel?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the above statement of the problem, this study is conducted with the
following purposes:
1. To reveal suspense in the novel.
2. To reveal surprise in the novel.
3. To show how the artistic unity is presented in the novel.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Internet research and library research are used during the writing of my
thesis. First, Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Mission of Honor is read as the primary
text. Then, in order to support my analysis of suspense, surprise and artistic unity
of the novel, I also read as well as compiles some data from the Internet, after
which I make some conclusion of my analysis.
3
Maranatha Christian University
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
This thesis consists of three chapters, preceded by the Table of Contents
and the Abstract. The first chapter is the Introduction, which consists of the
Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the Purpose of the Study,
the Method of Research, and the Organization of the Thesis. The second chapter is
the Analysis of Elements of Plot of Tom Clancy’s OP-Center: Mission of Honor.
The third chapter is the Conclusion. Finally, the thesis ends with the Bibliography
and the Appendices which contain the Synopsis of the Novel and the Biography
of the Author.
4
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
After I finished reading and analyzing the novel, I conclude that Tom
Clancy is very skillful in creating such a good story. He creates a story that is full
of actions and investigations. In addition to that, he is very good at raising the
readers’ tension and curiosity. This makes the story have a good element of plot.
After analyzing the elements of plot, I am of the opinion that one of the
important parts in this book is the suspense, especially the second and third
suspense. The second suspense is how Op-Center will solve the Father Bradbury’s
abduction by sending a small team, Striker, whose mission is to investigate the
case secretly by infiltrating the abductors to rescue Father Bradbury. The team
only consists of three people and none of them has military background, except a
female member named Maria Corneja, who has had an experience with an
abduction case before. This situation raises a question in the readers’ mind on
whether the team will manage to accomplish the mission to rescue the priest
successfully or if they will fail their mission, because it is mentioned in the story
that the abductors is a professional group of soldiers in Botswana named Brush
19
Maranatha Christian University
Viper. This suspense is the core of the story, because after the readers learn the
fact that the rescuer, Striker team, only consists of three members, the readers will
be eager to know what will happen afterward. As both the quality and the quantity
of the Striker team make the readers wonder how they can manage to succeed
their mission, this also raises the readers’ curiosity.
The third suspense is about the murder of Bishop Max by an unknown
killer and the murder of the killer himself by an unknown person who waits in a
small plane. One of Striker team members, Maria Corneja, witnesses the incident
and sees Leon Seronga and his partner try to catch the killer. It creates question to
the readers about the identity of Bishop Max’s killer and their motive. This
suspense will raise tension and curiosity. The reader will read further to reveal the
mystery.
Another important part in this book is the surprise. In my opinion, the
second surprise is good, because it answers the readers’ question on the second
suspense. The Striker team finally manages to infiltrate Brush Viper. They
succeed in making an agreement with Leon. Maria from Striker team agrees to
help Leon and his team to prove that Brush viper is not the one who is responsible
for Bishop Max’s death. In return, Brush Viper must release Father Bradbury. The
readers will not expect that Striker team will use that way to infiltrate the Brush
Viper and create such an agreement. The fourth surprise also answers the readers’
question on the third suspense. The readers finally learn about the existence of a
third party, which turns out to be Japanese agents. They want to frame Dhamballa,
Leon Seronga and Brush Viper by killing Bishop Max.
20
Maranatha Christian University
As for the artistic unity, I find that all suspense is answered by the
surprises. Each of them has plausibility that can be accepted by the readers. One
example of artistic unity which has good plausibility is the second suspense and
third surprise. The Striker team has a lot of information that others do not have,
which makes them able to know every situation which happens in Botswana and
use it to their advantage. One of Striker team members, Maria, makes an
agreement with Leon, whose team is framed for Bishop Max’s murder. Because
of the agreement, the Striker team can finally rescue Father Bradbury. The readers
will find it plausible as even though it seems impossible at first to infiltrate the
group of professional soldiers with only three people without military background,
as the story goes the readers will find a lot of incidents in the story which enable
Striker team to use them as a tool to infiltrate and offer such an agreement.
In my opinion, Tom Clancy’s success in writing this novel has come from
the interesting subject of the novel and the good development of the plot,
especially the suspense. Tom Clancy can write such a story in which the solution
is held back in order to raise the readers’ tension. He can lead the readers to a
point where they will always wonder what will happen next to the story.
Based on my analysis above, I can say that Mission of Honor is a good
novel. It tells about an effort to save a missionary who is abducted by a group of
African Militiamen. Op-Center, which sends its special team, Striker, investigates
and finds that the real purpose of the abduction. The actions and investigations in
the storyline give the readers the feeling of suspense and surprise. As a result, the
readers will find that the suspense and surprises in the artistic unity are acceptable
and believable. It makes the novel worth reading.
21
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary text:
Clancy, Tom. Op Center: Mission of Honor. New York: Berkeley Books, 2002.
Print.
References:
“Definition of the Crime Fiction Genre.” Findmeanauthor. 2011. 26 Mar. 2012.
Shaw, Harry. Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1976. Print
“Tom Clancy.” Answers. 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2011.
“Tom Clancy Biography and Notes.” Biblio. 2010. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.
“Tom Clancy, author of ‘Hunt for Red October’ and ‘Patriot Games,’ dead at 66.”
New York Daily News. 2013. Web. 3 Oct. 2013.
“Tom Clancy books – non-fiction.” Tom Clancy. 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
22
Maranatha Christian University
Dalam tugas akhir ini saya akan membahas sebuah novel berjudul OpCenter: Mission of Honor yang ditulis oleh Tom Clancy. Buku yang bergenre
Techno Thriller ini menceritakan tentang seorang pastor Katolik di Botswana
yang diculik oleh sekelompok pasukan tentara yang tidak dikenal. Tim khusus
Op-Center pun dikirimkan dalam usaha penyelamatan sang pastor. Seiring
berjalannya cerita, terungkap semakin banyak kejadian dan kekacauan yang
terjadi di negara kecil tersebut.
Setelah membaca buku ini saya menemukan bahwa unsur yang penting
dalam novel ini adalah plot, antara lain: suspense, surprise dan artistic unity. Saya
memutuskan untuk menganalisis hubungan antara suspense dan surprise dan
bagaimana keduanya terhubung sehingga membentuk sebuah artistic unity yang
masuk akal sehingga dapat dipercaya oleh pembaca.
Kesimpulan saya adalah bahwa keberhasilan novel ini terletak pada
perkembangan plotnya yang sangat bagus, khususnya suspense yang disajikan
secara sistematis sehingga membuat pembaca merasa ingin tahu apa yang akan
terjadi selanjutnya.
ii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................... i
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... ii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study..............................................................................1
Statement of the Problem .............................................................................3
Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................3
Method of Research .....................................................................................3
Organization of the Thesis ...........................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF ELEMENTS OF PLOT OF TOM
CLANCY’S OP-CENTER: MISSION OF HONOR ................................5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ................................................................19
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................22
APPENDICES:
Synopsis of OP-Center: Mission of Honor ................................................23
Biography of Tom Clancy..........................................................................24
i
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Tom Clancy is one of the greatest American novelists; most of his works
are about crime, military and espionage fiction, and techno-thriller storylines.
Tom Clancy is “one of only two authors to have sold two million copies on a first
printing in the 1990s. His 1989 novel Clear and Present Danger, sold 1,625,544
hardcover copies, making it the #1 bestselling novel of the 1980s” (“Tom Clancy
Biography and Notes”). His debut novel, The Hunt for Red October, was also sold
millions of copies on the first printing in 1984.
Tom Clancy’s novels are included into “the techno-thriller genre,
suspenseful novels that rely on extensive knowledge of military technology and
espionage” (“Tom Clancy”). Moreover, Tom Clancy is best-known for his ability
in writing crime fiction, which definition is:
The genre of fiction that deals with crimes, their detection, criminals,
and their motives. Most though not all, crime novels share a common
structure. First, there is the crime, usually a murder, then there is
1
Maranatha Christian University
investigation; and finally, the outcome or judgment, often in the shape of
the criminal’s arrest or death (“Definition of the Crime Fiction Genre”).
One of Tom Clancy’s novels, Op Center: Mission of Honor, is a story
about a group of African militiamen who kidnap a priest who spreads Catholicism
in Botswana. Even though the story in the book is fiction and was published in
early 2000s, it portrays a similar situation that really happened in a small African
country during the late seventies until eighties.
When I read the book, I find many events that leading me as a reader to
read further to know what will happen in the story. In the middle of reading, I also
find some events that I do not expect to happen. Those things create a tense when
I read the book, wonder to know how the story ends.
As plot is the most important element in Tom Clancy’s Op Center:
Mission of Honor, it will be suitable for me to analyse the suspense, surprise and
artistic unity. According to Harry Shaw in Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms,
suspense is “a state of mental uncertainty, excitement, or indecision.” Suspensus,
which involves awaiting an outcome or decision, derives from Latin word that
means “hanging up” and therefore left undecided. In literature, suspense refers to
the anticipation of readers (or of an audience) concerning the outcome of events in
a novel, story, or play. Suspense is a quality of tension in a plot which sustains
interest and makes readers ask “what happens next?” (Shaw 365).
Shaw’s definition of surprise is “a sudden and unexpected turn in the
action occurring at the end of a work. Such a conclusion is a trick ending if it has
not been previously hinted at or prepared for.” (365).
2
Maranatha Christian University
As for artistic unity, he defines it as “a term applied to characters, ideas,
and events that are believable, that seem worthy of approval and acceptance.”
(289).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problems that are going to be analyse in this thesis are:
1. Which parts of the story act as suspense in the novel?
2. Which parts of the story act as a surprise in the novel?
3. How is the artistic unity presented in the novel?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the above statement of the problem, this study is conducted with the
following purposes:
1. To reveal suspense in the novel.
2. To reveal surprise in the novel.
3. To show how the artistic unity is presented in the novel.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Internet research and library research are used during the writing of my
thesis. First, Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Mission of Honor is read as the primary
text. Then, in order to support my analysis of suspense, surprise and artistic unity
of the novel, I also read as well as compiles some data from the Internet, after
which I make some conclusion of my analysis.
3
Maranatha Christian University
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
This thesis consists of three chapters, preceded by the Table of Contents
and the Abstract. The first chapter is the Introduction, which consists of the
Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the Purpose of the Study,
the Method of Research, and the Organization of the Thesis. The second chapter is
the Analysis of Elements of Plot of Tom Clancy’s OP-Center: Mission of Honor.
The third chapter is the Conclusion. Finally, the thesis ends with the Bibliography
and the Appendices which contain the Synopsis of the Novel and the Biography
of the Author.
4
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
After I finished reading and analyzing the novel, I conclude that Tom
Clancy is very skillful in creating such a good story. He creates a story that is full
of actions and investigations. In addition to that, he is very good at raising the
readers’ tension and curiosity. This makes the story have a good element of plot.
After analyzing the elements of plot, I am of the opinion that one of the
important parts in this book is the suspense, especially the second and third
suspense. The second suspense is how Op-Center will solve the Father Bradbury’s
abduction by sending a small team, Striker, whose mission is to investigate the
case secretly by infiltrating the abductors to rescue Father Bradbury. The team
only consists of three people and none of them has military background, except a
female member named Maria Corneja, who has had an experience with an
abduction case before. This situation raises a question in the readers’ mind on
whether the team will manage to accomplish the mission to rescue the priest
successfully or if they will fail their mission, because it is mentioned in the story
that the abductors is a professional group of soldiers in Botswana named Brush
19
Maranatha Christian University
Viper. This suspense is the core of the story, because after the readers learn the
fact that the rescuer, Striker team, only consists of three members, the readers will
be eager to know what will happen afterward. As both the quality and the quantity
of the Striker team make the readers wonder how they can manage to succeed
their mission, this also raises the readers’ curiosity.
The third suspense is about the murder of Bishop Max by an unknown
killer and the murder of the killer himself by an unknown person who waits in a
small plane. One of Striker team members, Maria Corneja, witnesses the incident
and sees Leon Seronga and his partner try to catch the killer. It creates question to
the readers about the identity of Bishop Max’s killer and their motive. This
suspense will raise tension and curiosity. The reader will read further to reveal the
mystery.
Another important part in this book is the surprise. In my opinion, the
second surprise is good, because it answers the readers’ question on the second
suspense. The Striker team finally manages to infiltrate Brush Viper. They
succeed in making an agreement with Leon. Maria from Striker team agrees to
help Leon and his team to prove that Brush viper is not the one who is responsible
for Bishop Max’s death. In return, Brush Viper must release Father Bradbury. The
readers will not expect that Striker team will use that way to infiltrate the Brush
Viper and create such an agreement. The fourth surprise also answers the readers’
question on the third suspense. The readers finally learn about the existence of a
third party, which turns out to be Japanese agents. They want to frame Dhamballa,
Leon Seronga and Brush Viper by killing Bishop Max.
20
Maranatha Christian University
As for the artistic unity, I find that all suspense is answered by the
surprises. Each of them has plausibility that can be accepted by the readers. One
example of artistic unity which has good plausibility is the second suspense and
third surprise. The Striker team has a lot of information that others do not have,
which makes them able to know every situation which happens in Botswana and
use it to their advantage. One of Striker team members, Maria, makes an
agreement with Leon, whose team is framed for Bishop Max’s murder. Because
of the agreement, the Striker team can finally rescue Father Bradbury. The readers
will find it plausible as even though it seems impossible at first to infiltrate the
group of professional soldiers with only three people without military background,
as the story goes the readers will find a lot of incidents in the story which enable
Striker team to use them as a tool to infiltrate and offer such an agreement.
In my opinion, Tom Clancy’s success in writing this novel has come from
the interesting subject of the novel and the good development of the plot,
especially the suspense. Tom Clancy can write such a story in which the solution
is held back in order to raise the readers’ tension. He can lead the readers to a
point where they will always wonder what will happen next to the story.
Based on my analysis above, I can say that Mission of Honor is a good
novel. It tells about an effort to save a missionary who is abducted by a group of
African Militiamen. Op-Center, which sends its special team, Striker, investigates
and finds that the real purpose of the abduction. The actions and investigations in
the storyline give the readers the feeling of suspense and surprise. As a result, the
readers will find that the suspense and surprises in the artistic unity are acceptable
and believable. It makes the novel worth reading.
21
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary text:
Clancy, Tom. Op Center: Mission of Honor. New York: Berkeley Books, 2002.
Print.
References:
“Definition of the Crime Fiction Genre.” Findmeanauthor. 2011. 26 Mar. 2012.
Shaw, Harry. Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1976. Print
“Tom Clancy.” Answers. 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2011.
“Tom Clancy Biography and Notes.” Biblio. 2010. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.
“Tom Clancy, author of ‘Hunt for Red October’ and ‘Patriot Games,’ dead at 66.”
New York Daily News. 2013. Web. 3 Oct. 2013.
“Tom Clancy books – non-fiction.” Tom Clancy. 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
22
Maranatha Christian University